Lipetsk (, ), also

romanized In linguistics, romanization is the conversion of text from a different writing system to the Roman (Latin) script, or a system for doing so. Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written text, and transcription, ...

as Lipeck, is a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

and the

administrative center An administrative centre is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune, is located. In countries with French as the administrative language, such as Belgiu ...

Lipetsk Oblast Lipetsk Oblast () is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Lipetsk. As of the Russian Census (2021), 2021 Census, its population was&n ...

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

, located on the banks of the Voronezh River in the Don basin, southeast of

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

. Population:

History

The name means " Linden city" and is cognate with

Leipzig Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...

. In 1284, the city was destroyed by the

Mongols Mongols are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, China ( Inner Mongolia and other 11 autonomous territories), as well as the republics of Buryatia and Kalmykia in Russia. The Mongols are the principal member of the large family o ...

. The foundation of the modern city dates back to 1703,Charter of Lipetsk, Article 1 when

Peter the Great Peter I (, ; – ), better known as Peter the Great, was the Sovereign, Tsar and Grand Prince of all Russia, Tsar of all Russia from 1682 and the first Emperor of Russia, Emperor of all Russia from 1721 until his death in 1725. He reigned j ...

ordered construction of a

cast iron Cast iron is a class of iron–carbon alloys with a carbon content of more than 2% and silicon content around 1–3%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloying elements determine the form in which its car ...

factory in Lipetsk near the

iron ore Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the f ...

deposits for making artillery shells. On September 27, 1779, Lipetsk was granted town status. It became one of the principal towns of

Tambov Governorate Tambov Governorate () was an administrative-territorial unit (''guberniya'') of the Russian Empire, the Russian Republic, and the Russian SFSR, with its capital in Tambov. It was located between 51°14' and 55°6' north latitude, north and betwee ...

. In 1879, Lipetsk hosted a

congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

of members of Land and Liberty. After the Treaty of Rapallo (1922) until 1933, the much-reduced German Army (''Reichswehr'') of the

Weimar Republic The Weimar Republic, officially known as the German Reich, was the German Reich, German state from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional republic for the first time in history; hence it is also referred to, and unofficially proclai ...

secretly contracted with Soviet authorities to operate a clandestine military aviation base and test facility near Lipetsk – circumventing prohibitions of the

Versailles Treaty The Treaty of Versailles was a peace treaty signed on 28 June 1919. As the most important treaty of World War I, it ended the state of war between Germany and most of the Allied Powers. It was signed in the Palace of Versailles, exactl ...

. The base enabled technical collaboration by the two powers whose separate defeats in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

left them isolated in post-war Europe. This activity inside the

USSR The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

took place away from the vigilant eyes of the victors. The

Abwehr The (German language, German for ''resistance'' or ''defence'', though the word usually means ''counterintelligence'' in a military context) ) was the German military intelligence , military-intelligence service for the ''Reichswehr'' and the ...

, The SS and German Army Group Centre penetrated part of this Lindenstadt Region in 1941–2.

Administrative and municipal status

Lipetsk is the

of the

oblast An oblast ( or ) is a type of administrative division in Bulgaria and several post-Soviet states, including Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. Historically, it was used in the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union. The term ''oblast'' is often translated i ...

and, within the framework of administrative divisions, it also serves as the administrative center of

Lipetsky District Lipetsky District () is an administrativeLaw #382-OZ and municipalLaw #114-OZ district (raion), one of the eighteen in Lipetsk Oblast, Russia. It is located in the center of the oblast. The area of the district is . Its administrative center is th ...

, even though it is not a part of it.Law #382-OZ As an administrative division, it is incorporated separately as Lipetsk City Under Oblast Jurisdiction—an administrative unit with a status equal to that of the

districts A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions ...

. As a municipal division, Lipetsk City Under Oblast Jurisdiction is incorporated as Lipetsk Urban Okrug.Law #536-OZ

Economy

The principal industries of Lipetsk include ferrous metallurgy, machinery, metalworking, machine tools, engines, chemicals, food, and clothing. The former steel combine was privatized in 1992 and Novolipetsk Steel
NLMK
with approximately 48,000 employees and a 64% export ratio (2005) is one of the largest employers in the oblast. In 2008, the company's revenue was $11.7 billion. Other industry are another metallurgical plant "Svobodny Sokol" ("Free Falcon"), a tractor factory LTZ, solvent-extraction plant Liboil (largest rapeseed oil producer in Central Federal District and the second in Russia), pipe factory, a factory for refrigerators and household appliances, an ice factory, lathe factory, chemical factories, etc. Industry is mainly located south of the Voronezh River.

Transportation

Since 1868, there is a railway connection between Lipetsk and Moscow. Trams, trolleybuses and buses provide local public transportation. The municipality aspires to renovate the tramway network as it is largely segregated from motor traffic. It has negotiated a 10-year, RUR 30 billion loan from the European Bank of Reconstruction & Development for tramway renewal.

Health care

Lipetsk is one of the oldest

mud Mud (, or Middle Dutch) is loam, silt or clay mixed with water. Mud is usually formed after rainfall or near water sources. Ancient mud deposits hardened over geological time to form sedimentary rock such as shale or mudstone (generally cal ...

bath and balneological resorts in Russia (first opened in 1805).

Peat Peat is an accumulation of partially Decomposition, decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, Moorland, moors, or muskegs. ''Sphagnum'' moss, also called peat moss, is one of the most ...

mud and

chalybeate Chalybeate () waters, also known as Iron oxide, ferruginous waters, are mineral spring waters containing salts of iron. Name The word ''chalybeate'' is derived from the Latin word for steel, , which follows from the Ancient Greek, Greek word ...

bicarbonate In inorganic chemistry, bicarbonate (IUPAC-recommended nomenclature: hydrogencarbonate) is an intermediate form in the deprotonation of carbonic acid. It is a polyatomic anion with the chemical formula . Bicarbonate serves a crucial bioche ...

calcic springs are used to treat patients. Sulphate and chloride sodium water is used for therapeutic baths and drinking.

Education

Lipetsk is home of the Lipetsk State Technical University, Lipetsk State Pedagogical University, and some other colleges.

Military

The Lipetsk air base is located north of the town. The 4th Center of Combat Application and Conversion of Frontline Aviation named after

Valery Chkalov Valery Pavlovich Chkalov (; ; – 15 December 1938) was a test pilot awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union (1936). Early life Chkalov was born to a Russian family in 1904 in the upper Volga region, the town of Chkalovsk, Russia, Vasi ...

is situated in Lipetsk. The Lipetsk Air Center's chief, colonel Kharchevsky, has become famous after trial air combats in the United States and being a personal pilot of President

Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, having previously served from 2000 to 2008. Putin also served as Prime Minister of Ru ...

. The city is also served by the smaller Lipetsk Airport. On 24 February 2024, Ukraine claimed that its drones set fire to the Novolipetsk steel plant in Lipetsk. No casualties were reported however the facility was evacuated.

Twin towns and sister cities

Lipetsk is twinned with:

Notable people

* Andrei Gheorghe * Yuri Gladkikh * Viktor Kukin * Dmitry Kulikov * Alexandre Naoumenko * Dmitri Shershnev * Eugene Smurgis * Maria Viktorovna

References

Notes

Sources

* * *

External links

* *
Unofficial website of Lipetsk

Lipetsk news

{{Authority control Lipetsky Uyezd